


The Mansion Where None Should Enter

by obsidiangrey



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: I'm so sorry, Multi, Sporadic Updates, badass Nations being badass, emotional trauma in later chapters, like really really sporadic updates, more relationships to be added as I continue writing, so many characters to tag blahh, warnings for individual chapters will be put at the top, washington district makes a cameo, you will probably want to have tissues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-29
Updated: 2015-12-20
Packaged: 2018-04-24 01:53:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4901029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/obsidiangrey/pseuds/obsidiangrey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's a mansion up in the woods of the mountains. What else are a bored group of personified nations going to do but go take a look?</p><p>(A novelization of the popular fangame Hetaoni. Updates sporadically, will be completed.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I. The Mansion: Locked Doors

The World Conferences were almost always held in Bern. As far as most people knew, this was because Switzerland was a neutral country and therefore the best place to hold meetings without showing bias. Most people would be correct – this was indeed part of the reason as to why meetings were held in Bern. The _full_ reason, however, was that the personification of Switzerland was the only one who could keep all the Nations in line for a full meeting, mostly because he didn't have any qualms as to who he shot at.

The Nations of the world would arrive on the weekend before the meeting was scheduled to start and generally wind up drinking themselves into a stupor at whatever bars were still letting them in. This ensured that the meeting the following day would be quiet, as everyone would be nursing hangovers. Official discussions lasted for a few days until everyone gave up on trying to get things done, and then the Nations would spend the rest of their time in clumps or groups or pairs, just enjoying the company of friends. 

This week's meetings had not yet finished, but the meeting for this particular day _had_. Four friends, Nations, were walking up to an old house in the wood. One was a blond man, very tall and very muscular, with a strong jaw and sharp blue eyes. One was an albino man, who looked at the house with an unimpressed expression. One was a Japanese man, dressed in formal clothes native to his country and culture. One, the last one, standing a bit away from the group as if he were hesitant to be there, was a man with copper hair and olive skin and hazel eyes. These four men, friends and Nations, were Germany, Prussia, Japan, and the northern half of the Republic of Italy, often called Italy Veneziano.

“Ve...” Italy said quietly, staring up at the house in front of them. The wind made his curl bob about his head. It was less of a house and more of a mansion, really, four stories high on a sprawling piece of wooded land and too many windows to count. The paint on the siding was peeling. “It's really here.”

“I thought it was just a rumor,” Japan murmured, not blinking. “I never thought we would actually find it...”

“It has such a desolate feel,” Prussia chuckled. He had a bit of a violent streak in him; despite having once been the Teutonic Order, a group dedicated to peace, _Prussia_ was a nation born for war. “Not bad.”

“I don't think it's very interesting, though.” Germany wasn't frowning, exactly, but he had a stern sort of face that made him look like he was. Frown or no, it was clear he wasn't interested.

They – well, just Italy, really – had heard rumors of a haunted house up in the woods. The happy-go-lucky Nation had persuaded his friends to come with him to try and find it, citing that the meetings were too boring and they hadn't spent time together in _ages_ , had they? Germany and Japan agreed, and then Prussia tagged along because... well, who knew what Prussia's motives were? His logic was truly a mystery at times.

“Me neither,” Japan agreed. “It's just an old house, the doors are probably locked. We've seen it from the outside, why don't we go back?”

“Aww... After all the trouble we had to find it?” The group of four had been walking for nearly three hours. Italy Veneziano smiled at them. “C'mon, let's just go in for a little while.”

Prussia shrugged and swaggered up to the door, turning the handle and walking inside. Japan followed shortly after, at a slower pace; Germany followed Japan, and held the door open for Italy. He smiled and bounced past, curl bobbing along.

It was much more open inside than they expected it to be, and much brighter as well. The daylight which poured through the many windows was augmented by electric lights illuminating the halls. A hallway lead directly ahead from where they were standing in front of the door (which Germany shut behind them with a soft _click_ ), and two more branching off to the left and right. A staircase in front of them led up to the second floor.

“It's cleaner than I thought,” Italy said softly, looking at the floors yet not really seeing them. The others didn't notice anything amiss, not with their friend, at least.

“H-hey, can we go now?” Germany shifted from foot to foot, glancing left and right. Italy was correct, it _was_ clean. Too clean. The house was clearly abandoned, for no person would let the outside of their home fall into such a state of disrepair. Yet the hallways – incredibly wide, four people could walk side by side with room to spare – were swept clean, and the lights were still working.

Prussia punched his younger brother lightly in the shoulder. “What's the matter, West?” he cackled, a toothy grin on his face. “You scared?”

Germany glared at him, but looked as though he would refrain from commenting until the sound of something shattering came from down the hall to the right, much too loud in the eery silence. He jumped, startled; Prussia tensed; Italy squeezed his eyes shut.

Japan sighed and shook his head at the younger Nations.

“L-look, we really should go now,” Germany said again, looking back at the door behind them.

“There is no need to worry.” Japan shook his head again. “There are no ghosts here. Where is your common sense? I will go and look, all right?”

Germany was still trying to calm his rapidly beating heart. This place was... unnatural.

Prussia just shrugged. “Sure. Be careful, or whatever.”

“I know. I am just going to see what it was that broke. Probably some small animal knocked a glass off a shelf.” Japan turned and began to walk down the hall, away from the door and the friends he had come with. “I will be right back!”

The hallway was long, longer than it looked from the entrance, and it only took a few paces for the voices of the others to fade into silence. Japan continued walking, passing a single door on the left (locked, not where the noise came from) on his way.

Perhaps Germany was on to something, he thought to himself. The mansion did have an odd feel to it... Probably nothing, of course. Still, the silence bordered on oppressive. The floorboards, polished to a golden amber and without a speck of dust, did not creak or groan when he stepped on them like one would expect. The walls were white and impeccably clean.

At the end of the hall was a kitchen... also spotlessly clean. There were some chairs close to the entrance, as well as a table, all of which looked very old. Then there was a counter, which looked... very new, actually. The counter top was white marble, and there was a rack of spices against the wall as well as a sink. Some more cabinets full of food lined the third wall of the room, though he dared not inspect them, assuming they were well past their expiration date.

A plate lay on the ground not far from the edge of the counter, shattered into many pieces – the source of the noise. There weren't any animals that he could see, but it was almost certainly what knocked the plate over.

“I should pick this up so no one steps on it,” he murmured to himself, and carefully set the pieces back on top of the counter (there was no trash can in sight). Then, after a moment's pause, he took one of the larger pieces and put it into his pocket to show the others. Just a piece of a broken plate, nothing to worry about. He turned and left the room, ignoring the door at the far end of the kitchen. It was probably locked, much as the door in the hallway had been, and it really was just an old house. The hallway was long and silent... and the entrance was too.

Germany, Italy, and Prussia were nowhere in sight. Frowning at the unexpected situation, the island Nation tilted his head to listen better. Nothing but silence. Not a creaking floorboard or stair to be heard.

“Did they leave after all?” he asked the silent house. Well, at least this meant he could go back to the hotel... He wasn't as young as he used to be, and his knees hurt from the three hour walk. He should make some tea. “How regrettable.”

And yet when he went to the front door... he found that it was locked. Frowning again, he jiggled the knob, but nothing happened. Oh, they _better_ not have locked him in...

He did remember, however, that the door had clicked when Germany shut it behind them. That click could have simply been the door itself... or it could have also been the lock.

Japan liked to think that he could trust his friends. The circumstances under which they met had been... most unfortunate, perhaps, but they had been friends then and they were still friends to this day. They trusted one another with many things, and so Japan would believe the best of them, and that they would not lock him in a house as a joke.

Well, maybe Prussia would, but Germany would soon put a stop to that.

Decision made, the island Nation turned on his heel and took the hallway to the left. If the other three had not left the house, then that meant they were either in the hall which went left or the hall which went straight. There were only two choices, so he would work systematically.

The hall to the left was shaped like an L. On the right side, at the base of the L, was a door... locked. Why were all the doors in the house locked while the entrance remained open?

Well... sort of open.

Ghosts Japan did not believe in, but this house was very, _very_ strange.

He turned the corner, the hall continuing in a much longer stretch. It was even occupied, which under any other circumstance might have been reassuring.

But at the end of the hall was a creature straight from one of his nightmares, from a horror story. The monster under the bed, the creaking in the night, the whispers in the dark... Japan had no way to describe it, but he was completely, utterly, and irrationally _terrified_.

And then he blinked, and the hallway was empty.

 


	2. I. The Mansion: Open Doors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mentions of anxiety/panic attack.

Breathing erratic, hands suddenly clammy, Japan spun around to look behind him (nothing) and then back again down the hall (nothing).

Nothing at all.

There had been no sound like a door opening or closing, no footsteps, and now there was just absolute silence like there had been ever since he had started walking to the kitchen. Already his heartbeat was slowing to a more reasonable pace...

“Maybe I'm getting tired...” he whispered, though he didn't sound very convincing, even to himself.

Japan straightened up and began walking yet again, slow, measured, determined steps until he reached the doorway at the end of the hall. Just like the other ones which he had tried, it was locked. There had been nothing there, no way for it (though there was no  _it_ to begin with) to get through.

Unless it had locked the door behind it-

But there was no  _it_.

There was a door to the right that was unlocked, but it was a dead end, a bathroom. There was a toilet and a sink, yet no shower, and everything was covered in such a thick layer of dust that the moment he entered the room he was fighting the urge to sneeze.

Why was this room dusty while everything else remained spotlessly clean?

His friends were not here, so perhaps they had gone down the third branch of halls. It was the only other option, unless they had gone to the second floor, but he would  _really_ like to think that they would wait for him and then go wandering off.

There was a prickling feeling on the back of his neck which would not go away. That hike must have tired him out more than he thought... Really, he wasn't one to jump at his own shadow.

So, silently (though why  _silently_ he wasn't sure), Japan walked back to the intersection in front of the front door, then turned left to go down the last hall. Unfortunately, this was even more of a dead end than the other two; it was merely a large, open room with a single locked door on the right. The room itself looked like some sort of armory, with two open arches leading into it and the wall in between the entrances covered in wallpaper. The floor was rotting away in one corner; the first sign of disrepair that he had seen in the otherwise spotless mansion, save for the out of place dust in the bathroom.

“Italy?” he called to the empty room. “Germany? Prussia?”

Silence answered, and while his voice should have carried through the air the emptiness seemed to swallow it up instead.

He slowly circled the entire room, stepping around old boxes and sets of rusted weaponry. There was a note on one of the boxes:  _Fix the piano, repair the toilet, leave the aid kit in the drawer on the second floor._  The paper it had been written on was old and yellowed with age... someone's to-do list, perhaps, that they never got around to doing?

But why just leave it there?  _Why_ hadn't they finished?

“You are getting ahead of yourself,” Japan said aloud, shaking his head. Foolish, foolish... the house couldn't be haunted. He was acting like America right now!

But his friends were not on the first floor. Japan now walked briskly (not a run, he was too reserved for that) back to the intersection and hurried up the stairs, softly calling for his friends.

He had yet to receive an answer.

The staircase opened up into another hallway, floors polished and walls a pristine white. There were lights, as there were on the first floor, but they were fewer and gave off less light. Slowly he walked into the middle of the hall and looked around. There was a single door down to the right, and two more down a hall much further to the left.

“Hello?” he called. “Did you come up here?”

Down the left hall, one of the doors was locked (as he had expected) but the second was not. Inside was a bedroom, drawers and chairs and cabinets as well as a bed, and a large white rug laid out on the floor.

Lying on the bed, neatly coiled into a tight spiral as if it had never been used, was Germany's whip.

Japan got very cold.

Germany was as loathe to part with his weapons as Switzerland was. The blond man was very strict about where he put them and how they were treated... he wouldn't just leave it lying here.

Japan picked up the whip and let it uncoil, the tip brushing against the floor. The leather grip was too big for his hand, but he felt more at ease with a weapon. Irrational, perhaps, but it would be foolish to leave a weapon behind, even if he had no reason to carry it. Besides, Germany wouldn't mind if he brought it back to him, so long as he was careful with how he handled it...

The hallway was still empty when he stepped out, though he was more careful as he turned corners, carefully looking around before moving forward and sticking very close to the wall. The third hall, which ran parallel to the direction of the stairs, branched off into two after a very short distance. There were two doors to the right, which he tried (to no avail), and two on the left. One was locked, one was open, the room inside empty and identical in appearance to the other bedroom.

All these doors were locked, and others were empty... but where had the others gone?

“Germany?” he said, starting to walk toward the stairs to the third floor. “Prussia? Italy?”

Wait. Wait, no, there had been a door by the second floor stairs... had he checked that one? Had it been locked? The stairs were very dark, going up, and he did not know where the light switch might be, nor did he know if the lights even worked, nor did he have a flashlight. Abruptly turning on his heel, he walked back down the hallway and grabbed the handle of the door, and it turned easily within his grip.

It looked more like an office than a bedroom. The walls were white, the floor was polished, the rug was spotless... yet knocked slightly askew, the corner turned over as if someone had tripped. There were bookshelves up against the far wall, and a big table tucked into the corner with a few chairs. Japan's eyes landed on a curtain in the back corner, which was moving slightly. It could have been from him shutting the door behind him, but the air was very still.

Adjusting his grip on the handle of the whip in his hands, Japan steeled his nerves and leaped. Quickly, silently, he crossed the room in two brief strides and yanked the curtain back-

-and Germany toppled out, nearly knocking the both of them onto the floor.

“G... Germany!”

The Nation was shaking, trembling. His teeth were chattering together, and he stared at nothing.

“Germany?” Japan repeated, this time much more concerned than surprised. Germany, despite often being the most mature out of their small group, was still the youngest (though to Japan, everyone was young). Germany was practically a  _child_  in terms of Nationhood, younger than even America, and so Japan could not help but be worried. “Germany, can you hear me? Where are the others?”

There was no vocal reply. Instead, the blond sank to his knees, leaned against the wall, and continued to shake.

Japan was loathe to leave- he remembered, now, there was always some feeling of anxiety which never seemed to leave Germany alone- Prussia had explained it at one point. He'd never seen it get this  _bad_ , though...

If the lights were working, didn't it serve to reason that the sink in the kitchen ought to be as well?

Kneeling, the island Nation took Germany's hand and wrapped it around the handle of the whip. “I will get you something to drink,” he said gently, standing up and walking back to the door. “I will return shortly.”

It was doubtful Germany had heard him, but he hurried all the same, quickly moving down the stairs and pulling a glass out from a cabinet when he finally got to the kitchen. However, the sink, while shining and polished, did absolutely nothing when he turned the knob.

“The tap is broken,” Japan said calmly, though if he were any other person or Nation he would have sounded incredibly sarcastic and a touch annoyed. He wasn't much one for expressing emotion, but this house was doing things to his nerves and his patience. “...The bathroom?”

The door at the end of the far hall gave him chills to look at, but it was still locked, and he turned to the bathroom, setting eyes on the toilet for a split second before walking right up to the sink.

“Let's not be so hasty,” he said to himself, twisting the dusty knob and filling the cup up with water from the sink. He had to wait for a few moments so the water would stop running a reddish brown with what he  _presumed_  to be rust, but it didn't take long for it to go clear. Germany wouldn't know the difference.

What he found most worrisome was that he had seen neither Prussia nor Italy this whole time. Germany was not a Nation easily frightened (and neither was Japan, for that matter) but something about this place... something about this place, now that they were all inside, seemed very, very wrong. He had to find the others, quickly.

The halls were silent as ever, and Japan's feet made no noise as he walked briskly up the stairs and into the room. Germany was still shaking in front of the curtained closet, and had not moved.

“Germany, I brought you some water.” Japan knelt and removed his hand from where it was limply wrapped around the whip, replacing the handle with the glass of water. “Drink it, and try to calm down a little. You will feel better.”

Perhaps it was that they were at eye level now, or maybe just that he had used the time to calm down, but Japan's words seemed to finally get through to his friend. With hands that only shook a little (disconcerting in and of itself), Germany drank the cup of water under his watchful eye. Then he blinked a few times, as though he had suddenly stepped into bright light after a long time somewhere dark, and looked at the glass.

“Is that... really water?” he asked dubiously.

Well, he had  _hoped_ Germany wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

“Judging by its color...” He shrugged. “Probably...?”

“I see...” Germany looked at the glass for a bit, then continued on in a very stiff tone. Japan recognized it as the way he sounded when he was feeling embarrassed. “Sorry for falling apart like that. I feel better having drank.”

“That's good to hear.” Japan still was worried. While more focused than before, Germany was by no means focused. “Germany, where are the others? Where are Prussia and Italy?”

Germany blinked, then went very pale once more. “We... we ran for our lives...” His voice had dropped to a whisper. “And they went in different directions... we ran...”

It was an unexpected reaction. He had moved beyond both worried and concerned, and quickly got to his feet. “I'll look for them, Germany. Try to get some rest. I will return shortly.”

Germany just nodded and began shuffling back into the closet, leaving his whip behind him on the floor. “Oh... I found this... when we were running.” He was almost entirely behind the curtain now, but a shaking hand pushed a key out underneath the curtain and across the floor. “It might help...”

Japan took the key, slipped it into his pocket, then eyed the whip still on the ground. It was as if Germany hadn't even noticed it the whole time he was holding it... But it would be better to leave it here. It might make him feel safer, at any rate.

Not that he would need it to defend himself. There couldn't be any ghosts here, there  _couldn't_.

Japan looked at the key, turning it over in his hands a few times. It looked like it could fit any of the locks in the doors, and all the doors in this house looked the same – wood painted white. There were at least three stories, and most of the doors were locked! How could he possibly know which door the key went to?

But, thinking logically, the key probably belonged to a room on the first floor. Germany was a logical person himself, and if he sought escape he would go for the closest, safest option. The room he was in was closest to the stairs on the second floor. Japan had not been gone for very long, and so it stood to reason he found the key on the first floor. If the key was on the first floor, it  _probably_ belonged to a door on the first floor.

“That leaves the door in the armory, the two doors in the bathroom hall, and the two doors in the kitchen hall, right?” he asked himself aloud, the silent mansion swallowing up his voice. Five doors. Five doors wasn't too bad... He could start by going down the kitchen hall, checking first the door in the hallway and then the door in the kitchen itself, and repeat the process with the others.

Luck was with him, it seemed. Japan walked down the hallway and slipped the key into the locked door, which clicked and swung open without a problem. Perhaps Prussia and Italy were hiding in here! Knowing Prussia, it was entirely possible he had attempted to scare his brother, succeeded, had hid in here to scare Japan when he had come back from the kitchen, and  _then_  had managed to get distracted, thus totally missing Japan's return. Prussia was such a ridiculous person, sometimes... Intelligent, but ridiculous. He had too much time on his hands, nowadays, and never seemed sure what to do with it.

He had also scared his younger brother into a catatonic state. That news would surely bring him to his senses.“Prussia?” he called, walking forward while looking around. The door shut behind him, key still in the lock. “Prussia, are you in here?”

His voice masked the sound of the key falling onto the floor.

This room was a library. The floor was wooden, just as the rest of the house was, the walls painted white. There was a large table covered in books and yellowed pieces of paper, as though someone had been doing research and then abandoned it suddenly without warning. Three huge rows of bookshelves went from ceiling to floor, two of them parallel to the door so that they created a miniature hallway in the middle of the room, and the third made a little niche in the corner. It could be rather cozy, perhaps, with some cushions to sit on and better lighting...

Japan had little interest in any of the books, peering around corners, not as cautious as he had been before. Whatever he had seen was no doubt a figment of his imagination, and the house was completely silent.

Despite his earlier convictions, though, the Nation found himself back in front of the table, having searched the entire room and come up with nothing. Prussia was not in here, and he had seen neither heads or tails of Italy.

Just barely sighing, an action which would be mistaken for ordinary breathing by most, Japan looked at the table in front of him. Books and papers and... and rice?

Slowly, he reached out to pick up a small rice ball that was sitting innocently on the corner of the table. “An ordinary rice ball...? Why on earth...”

Something crashed behind him.

Nerves suddenly on fire, the rice ball dropped onto the ground, forgotten, as Japan turned. For a moment he saw nothing; for a moment he had himself convinced that Prussia was just being as he always was; for a moment everything was absolutely silent.

A  _thing_ stepped out from behind one of the bookshelves. There was no good way to describe it but as a  _thing_ , a  _thing_ right out of some dark, unspeakable nightmare. The bookshelves went from ceiling to floor, and the  _thing's_ head came about half the way up. It's skin was gray and rotting, sagging off its arms and legs and drawn tight around a too-long neck and bulbous skull. It's fingertips brushed against the floor as it walked, a slow, shuffling pace.

Oh,  _why_ hadn't he brought the whip with him?! He had a katana, but that would do him little good...

But the  _thing_ had not yet noticed him, and with unnatural fear coursing through him, Japan slipped around behind the  _thing_ , darting past the bookshelves and grabbing the doorknob, which remained stubbornly immobile.

The key... where was the key...?!

It was not in the lock, nor was it on the floor, and the  _thing_ continued to shuffle around the room. Its eyes were flat and gray, blank, soulless. At first it appeared like it didn't know where it was going, and possibly hadn't even noticed Japan was there, but then he picked up on its path. It was going around in a vague sort of loop, shuffling to corners before turning back and going down the wall. It was following Japan's trail down to the hesitation of his footsteps; it  _knew_ he was here.

In all his years of Nationhood, Japan had never seen anything like this. Oh, he had seen horrors before, but that  _thing_  was not of his world.

The  _thing_ was starting to shuffle closer. It was walking next to the wall in which the door was set into, so there was no way it wouldn't see him if he moved. In fact, it probably saw him now, but he had to run. Where had it hidden the key? What would be the best place to hide something here?

The  _thing_ followed his footsteps... if he ran, it would no doubt notice and chase after him directly. So the most sensible place to hide the key would be in... in a corner... in the dead-end corner on the far side of the room.

Japan bolted.

There was a sharp intake of breath, and then a set of clawed fingers swiped out, tearing the hem of his sleeve and missing his arm only by inches. He flew around the corner of the bookshelf and- yes, there! On the floor, at the far end of the corridor created by the shelves, the key!

He fumbled picking it up, but when he wrapped his fingers around it he did not let go, and the serrated edge cut into his skin. He turned around-

And the  _thing_ turned the corner. It was moving faster now that it had seen him- already it was halfway down the hall- three-quarters-!

Japan lashed out with his katana and darted under the  _thing's_ legs as it screeched in pain. The blade had caught its arm, and though he could still hear heavy breathing behind him (growing closer) it had been enough of a distraction. He didn't want to kill it, just to slow it down.

Nations were effectively immortal. Their bodies could die, but would quickly regenerate, and the Nation would awaken with a start. It was not a pleasant experience; nevertheless, if the  _thing_ caught him, he would ultimately survive... but if the  _thing_ caught and killed him, he would die leaving Germany alone on the second floor, and Prussia and Italy god-knows-where. That was not something Japan could allow himself to do, and so he ran for his life, jamming the key into the lock, darting through the door, and slamming it behind him.

(and if there was that same irrational terror from before underlying his motives, no one had to know)

The hallway was completely silent.

The door behind him stayed shut.

He stayed still for so long that he once again considered the idea that he was merely tired, and his mind was playing tricks on him in this strange place, but...

“I have to find the others,” he whispered to the empty hall, which swallowed his words into silence, and calmly walked to the stairs.


	3. II. Finding Friends: Enemy First

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No warnings for this chapter.

Back on the second floor, Japan had gone to the room where Germany was and received less help than before. The younger Nation wasn't even speaking, just mumbling about a  _thing_ ... At least Japan knew what the  _thing_ was. He was prepared.

Yet, scouting around the house again, Japan found nothing new. There was still no sign of Prussia or Italy. Germany refused to come out of the small closet. There were no new unlocked doors, no other keys on the ground, and absolutely no sign of the  _thing_ , either.

Perhaps he had missed something in the library, too preoccupied with the fight to notice some small detail or another. Yet... that was where the _thing_ had been... but he was still reluctant to go upstairs into the dark third floor...

After a long period of deliberation, Japan squared his shoulders and walked back downstairs, making sure to take Germany's whip with him this time. The first floor was still silent, the doors still locked, and the only different thing from when they had first entered were some scuff marks on the wooden floors leftover from Japan's panicked retreat. Biting his lip, he pushed open the door and peered hesitantly around, taking the key out of the lock and putting it in his pocket.

There was no sign of the  _thing_ .

Much more carefully this time, Japan first looked down the dead-end hallway created by the row of bookshelves in the corner. It was empty. Then, keeping his back to the wall, he continued to look for anything he might have missed previously. He saw nothing, however, and turned to leave, freezing when he felt something strange underfoot that was  _not_ wood or carpet.

“A... key?” Looking around the room again, making sure nothing could sneak up on him, Japan knelt and scooped up the key. It was a different make than the others he had found. “Did that  _thing_ drop it in the fight?”

Germany still refused to leave the closet. Japan tried all the doors on the first floor again, and all the doors on the second floor, but to no avail, and after fruitlessly trying to convince his friend to help him search, he resigned himself to going upstairs alone.

The third floor was significantly smaller than the other two floors, consisting of a single empty hallway shaped like a C. There was a door to the right of the stairs, another door further down the hall, and a second staircase at the other end with a third door to its right. All three doors were locked, and the hallway was very dark – there were no windows.

Japan went up to the fourth floor. He was a  _Nation_ , he told himself firmly, trying to calm his shaking nerves, and he would  _not_ be afraid of some old house in the woods.

The fourth floor was even darker. The hallway did a C-shaped loop like the third floor did, with a locked door in the middle of the highway and a door at the end of the hallway. There was no fifth floor staircase, which made Japan equal parts relieved and worried, the former because he had no other rooms left to search and the latter because he was now cornered if the  _thing_ should come up the stairs behind him.

The door at the end of the hallway opened when he put the key into the lock. Inside, the room was dim, but lighter than the hallway. There was a table pushed against the far wall, and a curtain much like the one Germany was (still) hiding behind in the corner, a cabinet in the corner adjacent to it, and a large, ornate chair nestled against the wall between the two. Aside from that, the room was bare and empty.

Japan sighed and turned to leave.

_Meep!_

He paused.

_Meep!_

Was that... coming from in here?

Slowly, Japan turned back around. The room  _was_ empty, he wasn't missing anything-

_Meep!_

“Behind... the cabinet?” It sounded like it was coming from that corner of the room. Warily, Japan crossed over to the cabinet, sliding it aside with only a small amount of effort. Still, it was surprising... as a Nation, it was not difficult for him to move things it would take two or three humans to move otherwise. It must have been a very heavy cabinet.

Behind the cabinet, there was indeed something there. Wedged tightly into the white plastered walls was a little white mochi, bright blue eyes and a white blob that might be its equivalent of hair.

It was an odd sort of phenomenon that surrounded the Nations, one of many. There were some things that should be ordinary balls of rice but weren't. Estonia liked to take care of them, and for whatever reason named them after various Nations that he had met.

“Are you stuck?” Japan asked the creature.

_Meep!_

It twitched, but had apparently wedged itself so tightly into the wall that it could not get itself back out. Japan squatted and tried to help the creature, but he wasn't strong enough and his fingers couldn't get a decent grip. It was really stuck in there...

“Ah, I can't get you out,” he apologized, kneeling back. “Not like this. Poor thing... I believe my friend Germany might be able to help you, however.” The mochi had looked rather disheartened at his primary statement, but brightened up at the last sentence. Japan continued talking, though a lot of what he was saying now was simply him thinking aloud. “I wonder if he would come here for that? Then again, maybe I will have to get  _him_ out... Pah. Anyway. I'll ask him for you.”

Standing, Japan took a final look around the room, and seeing nothing, hurried back down to the second floor and into the room where Germany was hiding. His feet had already carried him halfway across the room before he slowed to a halt, noticing something decidedly off.

Hadn't that been a curtain covering the closet before? Japan was positive that there hadn't been an  _iron door_ , of all things... He... he couldn't have been imagining things, right? an iron door...?

“Germany, do you have a minute?” he called, shoving aside the matter for more important things and walking right up to the door.

It took a moment for his friend to reply, and when he did his voice was muffled by the door.

“Is that you, Japan?” At least he didn't sound quite so terrified anymore. “What's the matter?”

Japan glanced behind himself warily – nothing there, no  _thing_ creeping up behind him. “One of Estonia's mochis is stuck in the wall in a room on the fourth floor. I cannot dislodge it and thought you might have better luck.”

Germany took his time in replying again, and when he spoke for the second time his voice was even quieter. Japan had to strain to hear him. “I see. Ah... could you do me a favor first?”

Japan repressed a sigh. Germany was still a young Nation and decidedly more afraid of this strange house. If Japan could do something to soothe his nerves, then he would do it. “If it is within my ability to do so.”

“When I was running from that- that  _thing_ , I dropped my whip. We should have a weapon if that  _thing_ shows up again and comes after us. Could you look for it?”

The leather handle of the whip was slick with sweat, and Japan found he had to focus a good deal to unclench his fingers, but he felt a sliver of relief.  _Something good happened, finally_ . “Ah, Germany! I found your whip a while ago. It was on a bed in a room down the hall.”

“...Oh.” Germany sounded very small. The iron door creaked open, grating against the floor, and Japan passed the weapon through. “...Thank you.”

“It is no problem. I found it entirely by chance.” Japan got to his feet. “Now-”

“Japan!”

Japan did not like being interrupted.

“Yes?”

“...I'm hungry, too. I'm sorry, but- do you have anything to eat?”

Now, Japan was sorely tempted to yank the iron door fully open and drag Germany to the fourth floor through brute force.

And yet he sounded so  _afraid_ . Japan settled for glaring at the door, which was an unusually strong display of emotion for him to begin with, and took a slow, calming breath, reigning his feelings back under control. There wasn't any place to find food in this place, unless Japan wanted to give him the probably-expired food from the cabinets in the kitchen. There was the rice ball downstairs from the library, but considering that was the only place Japan had seen the  _thing_ except for the hall near the bathroom, Japan had no wish to go back there for a third time.

“You realize there is no food in this building,” he said patiently, softly.

“I have no strength.” The iron door scraped shut again before Japan could do anything. Germany's voice was muffled again when he spoke. “Anything is fine, just find me something, okay?”

It was unlike Germany to sound so afraid.

“I'll see what I can find while I am looking for Italy.”

“Have you found Prussia yet?”

“No, but I do not doubt that he is fine.” Prussia, if anything, was a fighter.

“ _Danke_ , Japan... H-here, take this with you.” The door quickly scraped open; a bottle was shoved out; Germany's hand quickly retracted, and the door shut.

Japan picked up the glass bottle and turned it over in his hand.

Where had Germany gotten  _beer_ ?

They needed to get out of this mansion.

“...Thank you, Germany. I will be back shortly.”

* * *

 

The doors which had been locked before were still locked; Japan went back to the fourth floor to tell the mochi that he would be bringing Germany along shortly and proceeded to work his way back down. If he did that, then there should be no way for him to miss Italy or Prussia, wherever they were. But calling softly the entire time, there was no sign of either, though Japan did take the rice ball from the library (which was also empty, no  _thing_ and no Nations) when he finally got to the first floor.

Slowly, glancing down the clean white halls every time he turned a corner, Japan made his way to the hall on the far-left of the first floor. It was the last place he had to look, and therefore the only place that Italy and Prussia could be.

The door at the end of the hall was open.

A jolt ran through him; for a moment, Japan was anxious, and then he smiled. The door had been locked before, and now it wasn't. That meant Italy and Prussia  _had_ to be here! Once he had found them, he could get Germany... and the mochi, too, he supposed, and they could set about finding a way out.

Walking briskly, hand resting on his katana (though Japan was, consciously, unaware of this action), he crossed the distance of the hallway and stepped into the pitch dark of the room beyond.

“Ah, where is the switch...? Italy, Prussia, it's Japan. Are you- aha,  _there_ is the switch.”

The light blinded him for a moment.

Blinking, then, all he saw was gray, sagging flesh and bulbous unseeing eyes in a too-large skull, skin stretched tight over distorted bone.

The  _thing_ reached forward, and the door shut of its own volition.

 


	4. II. Finding Friends: Mystery Mushrooms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No warnings for this chapter.

He ducked just in time.

The _thing's_ hand swiped over him, mere inches away, and Japan felt his hair ruffle in the breeze the motion caused. Then he was moving again, ducking, turning around and scrabbling at the door which remained stubbornly locked-

The lights flickered.

 _The door wouldn't open_. Japan slammed his hand against the wood in frustration, then spun around an instant later when he realized how unbelievably _foolish_ he had just been in turning his back- but there was nothing there.

The room was empty.

Heart in his throat and beating rapidly, breath coming in shaking gasps, palms sweating, Japan pressed his back to the wall. The room was empty, no _thing_ to be found, no Italy, no Prussia. It was a bathroom of sorts, much smaller than the dusty bathroom just down the hall. There was a walled-off portion where a small bath was, a mirror hanging on the wall. In the main room, there was a toilet, sink, and a second, more ornate mirror. A single window let in light, but its panes were grimy, and there were thick bars on the outside placed only a few inches apart.

Japan sank to the floor and tried to breathe evenly. He was starting to understand why Germany refused to leave the closet.

This mansion was _wrong_. The _thing_ was not of their world, and the whole place just made his skin crawl, filled his mind with an irrational terror that he found himself unable to control. Italy and Prussia had gone missing entirely, and they had no way to get in contact with the outside world. Japan doubted he could get a cell signal this far into the woods.

He could feel the items in his pocket digging into his leg and shifted to accommodate. His fingers closed around his katana, which he drew from its sheath and rested in his lap.

What good such a blade would do against a creature like that, Japan didn't know, but it was the best he had.

After what could have been minutes or what could have been hours, when Japan finally felt that his legs would be able to support him, he got to his feet and looked around. There was a table by the bath, and he dragged it over to the single window to stand on. The latch was rusted shut, and after close inspection, he doubted that any amount of cleaning could remove the dirt from the glass. The bars looked to be an inch thick a piece, so even if one of them could squeeze their shoulders through the window frame (they couldn't), the bars would stop them.

Japan got back to the floor and went for the exit – the door didn't look to be _that_ thick, surely he could break it – only to feel something shift under his foot.

“A key?” he murmured aloud, looking down. Had it fallen off the table when he moved it? It didn't matter, it was a key, and that meant another room where he might find Italy and Prussia. Japan picked it up, put it into his pocket with the other key, the pottery shard, and the beer bottle, and tried the door.

Much to his surprise, the knob turned easily under his grip.

Much to his surprise, Japan found himself shutting the door again and sitting down with his back to it, taking the beer bottle out of his pocket and popping off the cap. He needed something to calm his nerves.

* * *

The key didn't open any doors on the first floor, and Japan found himself repeating his process as he had for what felt like the  _n_ th time, trudging up to the second floor to try the doors there before doing the same on the third and fourth floors.

He didn't need to go to any more floors, though. The key he had picked up opened a door not far from where Germany was hiding in his closet, revealing a sparsely furnished bedroom. There were two neatly-made beds against the wall, a table with no chairs, and some bookshelves. A glance over his shoulder told Japan that the hallway was empty, but... well, he had the key for this room in his hand, and he didn't want any unpleasant surprises. He locked the door behind him and turned back-

“ _Hyah_!”

He just barely managed to catch the blow, the blade of his katana inches away from his face and Prussia's red eyes, wide with fear, just inches behind that.

“Prussia!” Japan exclaimed. “Prussia-”

But Prussia snapped back as though he'd been burned, lowering his own sword with a jerky sort of motion, expression slightly less panicked and a little bit sheepish. “Ah... _Es tut mir leid_ , Japan.”

Slowly, Japan sheathed his katana and regarded the other Nation curiously. Prussia was not one to be spooked so easily; Japan had known him for a long time, and the other had even stood up to Russia without flinching. Now, though, he shaking slightly, constantly adjusting his grip on his sword and looking around as if checking to make sure they were the only ones in the room. “... _Puroisen_? Are you all right?”

Prussia scared... Germany terrified to the point where he refused to move... Italy _missing_...

...and Japan had seen that _thing_ , knew that it could track them, knew that it was able to move much faster than any of them could hope to if they were ambushed.

“There was a- a monster,” Prussia spat, backing up so he was pressed against the wall and continuing to look around, though his gaze kept coming back to Japan. “I saw it! A demon with flesh the color of a corpse.”

Well, they all knew what corpses looked like.

“I'm not crazy, I saw it- and so did West and Italy. _Gott_ , Japan, you have to believe me-”

“I know,” Japan interrupted gently. “I've seen it too.”

“I ran.” Prussia seemed to relax ever so slightly at Japan's words- reassurance that he wasn't hallucinating, though it was no comfort that the creature inhabiting the mansion they were currently trapped in was very much real. “We were together, but- I wound up here, and I was alone.” Japan nodded. Prussia let out a long breath through his nose, still visibly shaking even as he tried to calm himself, then promptly exploded. “What the hell is that _thing_?! What _is_ it? And-” He stuttered to a brief pause. “Where are the others? Japan- _Westen und Italien_ -”

“Please calm down,” Japan said firmly. “Germany is hiding in a closet-” Prussia's face twisted in concern, only for the look to vanish and be replaced by a forced, lopsided smile. “-and though I have not found Italy yet, I do not doubt that he is fine. He is very swift on his feet. You are looking very pale, do you want me to get you something to drink?”

“ _Ja... Nein. Nein,_ no, I...” Prussia finally sheathed his own sword and dragged a shaking hand over his face. “I'm a little thirsty, but it can wait. We need to find Italy. Why's West hiding in a closet?”

“I believe he encountered that creature and sought a place to hide,” Japan said. “Now he does not wish to leave. ...He claims he is hungry. I don't suppose you've found any food in this place?”

That actually evoked a chuckle, and Japan jumped, startled at the loud noise. Prussia's laughter was sharp and hissing, and he sometimes looked a bit deranged when he was doing it. This was one of those times, though Japan suspected that Prussia might break down like Germany had if he didn't keep himself otherwise occupied. “Mushrooms. Damn things were growing under the bed. I recognize them, they're the edible kind. I thought they would make a good snack for later, since I didn't want to leave the room in case that _thing_ came by again.”

“Mushrooms,” Japan repeated, and he too felt a bizarre urge to smile. It did seem ridiculous, finding mushrooms in such a place. “That should do.”

“ _Wunderbar_!” Prussia shook himself slightly, and for a moment he looked like himself again. “Let's...”

Something scraped against the wall, and Japan's heart leaped back into his throat.

_You are a Nation. You have faced worse than this before._

Prussia looked as terrified as Japan felt, though he tried to cover it, drawing his sword with a dramatic flourish. Nations had a nice trick where they could bend space and carry objects that they wouldn't be able to otherwise. Japan preferred a more traditional appearance and generally kept his katana in a sheath at his waist, but Prussia made it look like he was drawing his sword from thin air. “I know that thing on your waist isn't just for show. I'd rather not be eaten, so if you don't mind...”

“I do not mind at all,” Japan said quickly, pulling out his katana and turning warily to the door.

They both jumped back as something slammed into the wood, making the door rattle and the bookshelves threaten to fall over, but the lock held, and the door did not open. That did not dissuade whatever was trying to enter; there was a terrible screech, and the pounding and scraping continued. The door handle rattled, and Japan was sure the wood was going to crack and splinter under the onslaught.

It took time for him to hear the silence over the sound of his own heartbeat roaring in his ears. Prussia was standing at his side, though Japan had no recollection of him moving there- no, Japan was standing at _Prussia's_ side, both of them pressed back against the wall, both of them facing the door, and Japan had no recollection of _himself_ moving backward.

“Is it gone?” Prussia asked.

Japan swallowed. “I assume so.”

Prussia nodded jerkily. “We're getting West. Then we're going to find Italy and get the hell out of here, understand?”

Prussia had a habit of getting snappish when he was stressed, Japan knew. “Indeed.”

“Well, let's go, then!”

He strode up to the door, unlocked it, and stepped through. A moment later, he had ducked out of the way, falling into a roll, and there was a sharp-clawed gray fist the size of a tire where Prussia had been just seconds before.

Japan was moving before he could think, his blade slicing through dead flesh and sinew and muscle and bone and the creature screamed, its other fist hurtling through the air and knocking Japan to the side like a rag doll. Prussia shouted something, though Japan couldn't make out what, and a silver point appeared in the center of the _thing's_ chest. The blow didn't seem to hurt it, but it stunned it enough for Japan to think past the sudden lack of air in his chest and pain in his ribs to take up his blade and stab upward, burying it to the hilt in the _thing's_ belly.

The _thing_ screeched and flailed out with its good arm. Japan ducked again and just barely missed getting hit in the head.

Prussia's fingers closed around his wrist, long and bony, tight enough to hurt. Japan still couldn't hear over the _thing's_ earsplitting cry, but Prussia was sensible, and the sensible thing to do in this situation was to run.

They tore down the hallway and took a sharp corner at the stairs. Prussia jumped down, hitting the floor below with a grunt, and Japan half-ran and half-fell as he followed.

“Library!” he called as they skidded around another corner, already fumbling with the key. Prussia nodded shortly, opening the door and slamming it shut the moment they were both through. Japan shoved the key into the lock and dropped to his knees when he heard the _click_.

For a moment, the only noise was their heavy breathing. Then Prussia sat down, leaned his head back against the wall, and started to laugh.

Japan, who had sunk to his knees, turned to stare at him.

“ _Ich- es tut mir leid, ich-_ ach, no, wait.” Prussia shook his head, still chuckling and, presumably, unable to stop. “Good instincts. You're as fast as you ever were, you know.”

Adrenaline fading, Japan realized precisely how much his ribs hurt. _Not fast enough_. “As... are you.”

“ _Ja_ , well, I've got nothing but time on my hands nowadays.” The laughter tapered out. Prussia sighed, then frowned. “Are you okay?”

A blow like that should have healed within minutes, but Japan found that the pain did not dull, had not dulled even the slightest. “A glancing hit, nothing more.” He should rest. “I do not believe the room Germany is in has a lock. The closet has an iron door, but we should hurry back.”

Prussia's head snapped up to stare at him. “Why the hell didn't you _say_ that earlier?!” he demanded, and darted out before waiting for an answer.

Japan had expected this and slowly got to his feet, following as quickly as he could. He had deliberately refused to involve himself in anything European for the longest time, but he hadn't needed to to know that Prussia would bend over backwards to help his little brother. He had figured that out within the first few encounters he'd had with the two. In this house, with a strange creature lurking and an ever-present, unnatural terror, Prussia would be running to his brother at the slightest indication of danger.

He found Prussia waiting impatiently at the top of the stairs and pointed to the room where Germany was hiding; Prussia bolted for it without a word. Japan heard a dull _thud_ a moment later and a sharp phrase or two in German.

When he caught up, the iron door was scraping open. Germany peered out, saw Prussia, and quite literally tackled him to the floor in a tight hug.

“West!” Prussia looked startled. “Hey! I'm fine- Ludva, _beruhige dich!_ Germany! I'm fine, look at me.”

Japan watched Germany's fingers contract into the fabric of Prussia's uniform for an instant; then, clearing his throat, Germany stood abruptly and shifted in embarrassment. “...Sorry.”

“Hey, don't worry about it.” Prussia got up, dusting himself off (though there was no dust to be found), and eyed his brother. “That- that _thing_ is gone now, at least for a little bit. You good to help us find Italy?”

“I... yes.” Germany took a steadying breath. Despite all the time he had been resting, the young Nation didn't look very good. He looked... tired. Anxious. “Japan, is the mochi still on the fourth floor?”

“Yes.” Japan nodded. “I have some keys also, but I have found all the rooms which they unlock. I do not believe they will be of any use to us as of now...”

Prussia clapped him on the shoulder, which made him jump, then wince. His ribs still hurt... “ _Nein_! Those are just rooms we can cross off as already looked in! Come on, the fourth floor! And keep a sharp eye out. I don't want to get jumped by it.”

Germany glanced over his shoulder to the iron door. “We should come back here every now and again.”

Japan tilted his head to one side. “Is there anything useful in that closet?” he asked doubtfully.

“It's larger than it looks!” Germany defended. “And there are supplies.”

“ _Hai_ ,” Japan agreed after a pause. “Yes, indeed. Quickly now, we must get to the fourth floor.”

“Germany, get out your whip,” Prussia said tersely as he opened the door. “Don't want to get caught off guard. You too, Japan.”

The mochi was precisely where Japan had left it, though it seemed scared when the three of them all crowded around it and tried to wriggle back further into its predicament.

Germany frowned, tilting his head to one side. “It's nervous. Maybe you and Prussia should go look around the fourth floor. You can warn me if the _thing_ comes up the stairs.”

“Oh, you'd know if we ran into it,” Prussia muttered, expression darkening for a brief moment. Then he lit up again. “All right, West, you take care of the cute little mochi, and Japan and I will go search for things!” He glanced at Japan. “Fourth floor, work our way down?”

“That seems logical,” Japan agreed, and turned to the door.

* * *

_Parted from Germany._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Es tut mir leid - I'm sorry (German)  
> Puroisen - プロイセン; Prussia (Japanese)  
> Gott - God (Germany)  
> Westen und Italien - West and Italy (German)  
> Ja/nein - Yes/no (German)  
> Wunderbar - Wonderful (German)  
> Ich - I (German)  
> Beruhige dich - Calm down (German)  
> Hai - はい; yes (Japanese)


	5. II. Finding Friends: Rest at Last

Simply put, Prussia was more energetic than Japan. He had always been that way, from what Japan could remember- a diplomatic envoy had arrived in 1860, bringing with it a man whom Japan had initially believed to be a very excitable spirit of some kind.

Prussia was already out the door and across the hallway before Japan had even left the room, and he was surprised to see the other Nation try the door across the way and open it without a problem. Something must have shown on his face or in his body language, because when Prussia looked back over his shoulder with a grin, the grin quickly turned to a frown. “Something wrong?”

“Ah... I am not sure.” The floors got darker the higher up they went, and he glanced around nervously ( _it will not do any good to jump at shadows_ ) before hurrying over. “That door was locked when I came up to search this floor.”

Prussia bared his teeth. “Well, if something's waiting for us, we'll just have to show them that we're better than it!”

“ _Hai_. We are... more awesome?”

It got a laugh, which was the intended result. “Japan! This mansion _is_ a crazy place, if you're cracking jokes.” Then, with a confidence Japan found he himself was starting to lack, Prussia flung open the door and rushed inside, spinning around in a full circle with his sword brought to bear.

Japan walked in and was careful to make sure the door didn't close and lock behind them.

“Well, it's empty! Good to know.” Prussia shrugged and looked around. There were no lights in the room, but significantly more windows than in the hallway. The floor was hardwood and polished to a shine; the walls were plain white; the furniture was much the same as the rest of the house. It looked like it might have been a study of sorts (though there was yet _another_ bed in the room), with a table and some chairs and several cabinets on the wall.

Prussia wandered over to look at some of the cabinets, and Japan looked around, more slowly this time. Something was... not _right_. Of _course_ something wasn't right, this entire building absolutely screamed _wrong wrong wrong_ but-

He knelt and ran his finger over the wooden planks. There was no gap to separate the boards, no sign of age or warping, but the boards were wide- the kind used in old houses in Europe and America, when large trees were in greater abundance. The house was old, but it had not aged. And then- he stood and crossed to the side of the room opposite where Prussia was to peer into the cabinets. They were full of assorted trinkets, the glass panels sparkling clean and the trinkets inside looking brand-new. And the _beds_. The sheets were crisp and neatly tucked under the mattress, the blankets smooth. There wasn't a wrinkle to be found.

“It's too clean,” he said aloud at the realization, and that was when the floor dropped out from underneath him.

Someone shouted something, but Japan didn't hear- there must have been a trap door, but he hadn't been standing directly on top of it. His elbow clipped the edge of the hole as he fell. He was stunned by the unexpected event and failed to get his legs underneath him in time; something tore in his knee when he landed, and the pain was bad enough that he immediately rolled over to keep his weight off of it.

“ _Ah_!”

“Japan! Holy shit- _fuck_ \- Japan, answer me! You all right?”

“...Aren't you Catholic?”

“Now isn't the time for jokes, damn you!”

Japan was lying on his back. His knee was throbbing, and he really didn't want to move his leg to get a better view of the damage. Pain shot through his left arm when he tried to prop himself up, and when he looked over there was blood soaking through his sleeve. His katana, thankfully unharmed, was lying on the floor a few feet away- he was lucky he hadn't accidentally stabbed himself on the way down.

“Japan!”

He looked up. Prussia was staring down at him from a hole in the ceiling- the drop had to have been at least three meters, possibly four. “Hello, _Puroisen_.”

“I'm going to come down there if you don't give me a straight answer!”

“I am... all right.” Japan frowned at his sleeve, then looked about for something to help him get to his feet. He found nothing- the room was very sparse; empty white bookshelves which spanned floor to ceiling covered an entire wall (which was also white), and there was a white piano sitting directly in the center of the floor. It was dim, the only light coming from the hole in the ceiling (there were no windows, which was particularly unnerving), but Japan was fairly certain he could see a door on the far side of the piano. “I have injured my knee, but I am capable of walking... I think. My katana is still intact.”

Prussia let out a relieved sigh. “There was a lever on the wall- I didn't know there was a trap door, I swear! There was a weird plaque next to it as well, said... ah...” His head vanished from view, then reappeared a moment later. “'Up is Heaven. Middle is Earth. Down is Hell.' And I might have pulled it down.”

Japan felt it was reasonable, in this situation, to glare. “If you have sent me to hell, _Puroisen_ , I will be most displeased with you.”

“Ah, don't worry about it! You're just on the third floor, from the looks of things. I'm going to go see how West is doing and make sure the floor hasn't dropped out from under him too- you get yourself back up here as quick as you can. If your leg's messed up, we all need to stick together.”

“Understood.”

Prussia's head vanished once more, and this time it did not come back. Japan struggled to his feet, tried to take a step, and promptly collapsed again.

Come to think of it, his ribs still hurt from the run-in with that _thing_ on the second floor. Shouldn't he have healed by now?

Nations had magic. Japan had not touched his in quite some time, but he still remembered what he had learned about it, centuries ago. There _were_ ways to limit the power of a Nation, though it was very difficult and there were often loopholes. Nations were tricky things that even they themselves didn't fully understand, so it was essentially impossible to block their power fully.

He _reached_ for his land, for his people, to draw on their strength-

Pain like no other shot through him, and he choked on air. The effort left him more drained then before, and his injuries were still unhealed. He- he couldn't feel his people.

He couldn't reach the land.

Japan snatched up his katana, staggered back to his feet, and hobbled as quickly as he could toward the door. There were spells on this house, but maybe- maybe Germany would have more luck. Switzerland was closer to his land, and the shared heritage between the two peoples were strong.

He did note, even as his mind was reeling from the sudden shock, that the piano room was just as clean as all the other rooms in the house.

The door opened up to the hallway on the third floor, and he peered carefully to either side before stepping out. There was no _thing_ to be found, but on the opposite side of the hall, by the stairway, the door was open. Something clattered inside- but the noise was followed by a soft cry of surprise, and Japan felt a burst of relief rush through him.

“Italy!” he called, rushing through the hallway and through the opened door.

Italy shrieked and spun around, clutching his backpack protectively to his chest as he stumbled backward. There was an overturned pile of books at his feet- the sound which had caught Japan's attention.

“Ah, Italy, I did not mean to startle you-”

And then Italy was hugging him so tightly that he couldn't breathe, and Japan's breath left him in a _whoosh_ because his injured arm was now pinned to his side and some of his weight (and Italy's) was on his injured leg-

“Japan! You're okay!”

“ _Hai_ \- Italy, you-”

“Right after you left, a monster appeared from the hallway and came after us- Germany screamed very loudly, but- didn't you hear?”

“ _ **Itaria**_ ,” Japan said, a bit more snappishly than he might have under different circumstances, and Italy sprang back like he had been burned. “I am interested in what you have to say, but... be gentle when you hug.” He had learned many years ago that to try and prevent Italy from initiating physical contact was like trying to herd cats (and he had learned how to herd cats from Greece). Italy knew Japan wasn't exactly fond of people in his personal space, but Italy was the exact opposite to him in that respect, and sometimes he just forgot. Japan never held it against him, though he had found the habit to be annoying back when they had first met.

Italy saw the blood on Japan's sleeve, and his eyes went wide and a little teary. “Ah, Japan- is it bad? Is anybody else hurt? I'm sorry, I didn't know-”

“It is okay,” Japan said smoothly. “There was a trapdoor. Prussia accidentally opened it... while I was standing on top of it.”

“But- oh, I must have hurt you! Wait, let me help-” Italy was back in his personal space, grabbing his arm before Japan could say otherwise, murmuring a faint tune in words Japan could not recognize, and-

Japan flexed his arm experimentally, wiggled his fingers a bit. “Thank you, Italy.”

Italy smiled a watery smile, but then Japan blinked and his expression was back to its normal, cheerful self. “So- yes, Germany screamed when the monster came- and I thought you'd been attacked by it when you didn't come running.”

“I heard nothing. As soon as you were out of sight, the house was completely silent.”

Italy's smile faltered for an instant, so fast Japan nearly missed it. “We were supposed to stick together- that was the plan, we were supposed to stay together, but the front door wouldn't open and we started going up the stairs- and I was on the third floor alone even though I'd thought everyone was right behind me- I thought you were _dead_.”

Japan sighed as he was squished into another hug. “I am quite alive, there is no need to worry. Prussia is going back to the fourth floor- there is a mochi trapped in the wall, you see, and Germany is trying to get it out. This house is... strange, though. I would like to leave, but the door is locked and the windows are barred. Our cell phones don't work.”

Italy nodded minutely. “I'm just so glad I _found_ you, Japan! But are you hurt any worse? Here, here, wait a moment, I have things.” He knelt to rummage through his backpack and proceeded to pull out five slightly squished rice balls, a few cans of beer, and a plastic container than looked to be full of pasta. “Ve~ There we go! Eat something, Japan, you need to keep up your strength!”

“What- where did you _find_ all of this?”

Italy got back to his feet and handed Japan some of the rice balls, still smiling brightly. “Oh, there's a spirit in the bathroom on the first floor! He'll sell you things for money- just rice and beer, though, I don't really know why... I tried asking, but he got really mad at me and said he wouldn't sell me anything else so I apologized lots and lots and then he forgave me.” Japan blinked. Italy continued to smile. “Japan, _eat_!” he urged. “Germany and Prussia are on the fourth floor, right? Lets go to them, quickly, I miss them.”

Japan was not so good at hiding his injured leg, but it was good enough that he could walk on it without collapsing. Italy was kind enough to chatter on and pretend to ignore their slow pace and how Japan could only go up the stairs one at a time while he ate the rice. He _did_ latch onto Japan's arm, which gave Japan the opportunity to lean on him a bit for support, but Japan could pass that off as Italy's typical cuddliness and therefore could keep his pride intact.

“When that _thing_ appeared, I was- I was scared. I wanted to cry and cling to Germany, but- Germany was so scared, and Prussia had ran off, and I just- I needed to keep calm! I was very calm, and I started looking for everybody so we could get out of here.'

“I am glad to hear you are well and unharmed,” Japan told him sincerely. “Once we get Germany and Prussia, we can finally leave this place. I do not like it here at all.”

Italy just smiled brightly, the two reaching the fourth floor and continuing on down the hallway to the door at the end. Japan's arm was not in quite so much pain, but his elbow still ached, and his leg throbbed every time he put weight onto it. Now that he was aware he was cut off from his land, he felt its absence keenly- he was still a _Nation_ , there was still that innate sense inside of him which set him apart from his people, but there was also something missing. He had been so distracted by finding his friends and avoiding the _thing_ that he hadn't even noticed- how hadn't he noticed?

The first thing he saw was Prussia's face, scared yet determined all the same, sword in one hand, the other flung out to the side to keep Germany behind him. He saw the _thing_ second, seemingly unharmed from its previous battle with Prussia and Japan and looming over the two, as of yet unaware of the two Nations behind it-

Italy shrieked and grabbed Japan's arm again so tightly that it hurt. Japan winced.

The _thing_ paused.

“ _Verdammt_ , Japan!” Prussia swore. “Take Italy and get out!”

“Italy- you're okay! Thank God-”

Italy's breathing was shaky and uneven. Japan looked at Prussia and the _thing_ \- the _thing_ slowly started to pivot, looking between the two Nations backed into the corner and the two by the exit to the room.

“ _Westen_ and I will take care of this- go, quickly!”

“...I am losing my hearing in my old age,” Japan said finally, peeling Italy's hands off of his arm and drawing his katana, squaring his shoulders and ignoring the pain. “I can't hear you at all.”

Italy hiccuped and scrubbed at his face, clenched his fists at his side. “I'm- I'm sorry, Prussia. I can't hear you either~”

Prussia's face went slack with shock, as though he couldn't quite believe what he was hearing. A low growl began to emanate from the _thing's_ chest. Japan looked over briefly at his friend and nodded. “It is my honorable duty to fight with you, _Itaria_.”

Italy still seemed shaky, but managed a smile all the same. “Yes, well- Rome was my grandfather, after all!”

The four attacked at the same time, Germany temporarily forgoing his whip for sheer brute force, punching and kicking what he could and dodging when he needed to. Japan and Prussia both moved in with swords, working in tandem- Italy stayed at the rear, murmuring spells under his breath whenever one of them started to falter. In some distant part of his mind, Japan started to worry about what the long-term effects of that would be- prolonged use of magic wasn't good under any circumstances, and these circumstances were far from ideal- but he couldn't afford to focus on that, not now. The _thing_ seemed to know his every motion, evading him when he struck and attacking where he moved to as he was moving.

Prussia's blade was longer, and the Nation himself was taller than Japan, and he landed several blows to the _thing's_ face. It finally seemed to have enough and retreated abruptly, letting out an unholy screech and fading into the air, leaving the four confused and tense, breathing heavily, looking around as though it might faze back in at any moment.

“Gone, I think,” Prussia finally muttered, readjusting his grip on his sword. His face was covered in a sheen of sweat. That seemed to be Germany's cue, as the younger Nation rushed to Italy's side, grabbing his shoulders and looking at him anxiously.

“Italy! Are you hurt? Are you okay?”

“I- I'm okay-”

“You two totally ignored what I said!” Prussia glared at Japan. Germany ignored his brother entirely.

“We are friends, are we not?” Japan shrugged with his good shoulder and tried to slow his racing heart. “It would not sit well with me to leave you behind.”

Prussia looked at him for several moments after, eyes narrowed, still breathing heavily, then seemed to deflate. “Thanks. We couldn't have done that on our own. But we need to find somewhere safe- I don't want to be caught off-guard by that _thing_ again.”

“Agreed.” Japan looked back toward the corner. “The mochi-?”

“Couldn't do anything with it. It's mostly hidden from sight by the bookshelf, so that _thing_ shouldn't see it or go after it.” Prussia looked back briefly. “We're sticking together this time, too.”

Japan nodded in agreement and limped after Prussia as the albino Nation hurried toward Germany and Italy to relay the plan- the two Nations were talking quickly with one another, their sentences overlapping, though they seemed to be understanding one another well enough despite it. His leg still hurt- it was related to how he was cut off from the land, it had to be. There hadn't been any good time to mention it, between looking for Germany and then finding Italy later on- he needed to say something, to find out if they'd noticed, to find out if it was only him or not-

“Oh- I found things, when I was looking for you all!” Italy chirped, taking Japan by the arm as they started out the door, weapons drawn, looking warily around them for the _thing's_ reappearance. Japan was starting to suspect Italy knew he was having trouble walking and wanted to spare him the loss of his pride from having to ask for help. “There was a strange lever in the room across the hallway that talked about heaven and earth and hell and I didn't really want to go to heaven or hell so I pulled it to earth and a key dropped out of the ceiling, and I also found a wooden box when in that fourth floor room where the mochi was- the box was behind the curtain, but I didn't find the mochi, which is strange since it was chirping a lot and I probably should have heard it...”

“ _Itaria_ , may I see the key?

“Oh! Yes, of course, Japan!” He had to let go of Japan's arm to rummage through his bag, which left him feeling a little off-balance, but Italy was nothing if not fast- his arm was looped back through Japan's before they had even gone a few more steps, and he handed Japan the key. “Here you go~”

It didn't look like the keys for the first floor, and all of the doors on the third floor were unlocked-

“Second floor,” Japan murmured. Prussia turned back to give him a quizzical glance. “The key should go to a room on the second floor.”

“Well, let's go, then!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Verdammt - Dammit (German)  
> Itaria - イタリア, Italy (Japanese)


End file.
